Portfolio



Dec. 10, 1940'. R FEELEY 2,224,539-

PORTFOLIO Filed May 18, 1940 Patented Dec. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES, PATENT (OFFICE.

PORTFOLIO Robert S. Feeley, New York, N. Y., assignor. to

Brewcr-Cantelmo Compan-y, lnc.v 1 Application May 18, 1940, Serial'Nc. 335,882;

2 Claims; (01. 2s1 ss) This invention is concerned with portfolios, particularly those intended for advertising purposes and aims to provide improved portfolios of the easel type..

Portfolios customarily comprise a pair of boards hinged to the long edges of a narrow back provided with means such as rings or other binding structure for holding a plurality of pages or leaves, and it has been proposed heretofore to equip one or both of the boards with easels to support the portfolio in an open position at a convenient angle with the. horizontal and thus facilitate inspection of the leaves. Although the easel type of portfolio possesses numerous advantages as applied to advertising and related display purposes, the presence of the easel ordinarily tends to make the portfolio bulky and cumbersome, and in some types of structure tends to prevent the portfolio from assuming, and maintaining a closed position.

The portfolio of my invention, although of the easel type, differs substantially in structure from those proposed heretofore and in large measure.-

overcomes the difiiculties which have tended to restrict the adoption of easel type portfolios in many fields. My invention contemplates, in a portfolio, the combination which. comprises a back member having elongated parallel edges, a pair of outer cover members hinged respectively to the parallel edges, a slide fastener extending around the unhinged edges of the cover members and adapted to fasten these edges together when the cover members are closed upon each other, a first board hinged at its upper edge to the inside face of one of the cover members, a second board corresponding in length to the first board but narrower, said second board being hinged to the inside face of the other board member, the outer edges of both boards being spaced substantially equidistant from the back, a collapsible spacer disposed between the first board and the cover member to which it is hinged, a second collapsible spacer disposed between the second board and the cover member to which it is hinged and leafholding means fastened to the first board near the inner edge thereof.

For a further understanding of my invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows a portfolio constructed in accordance with my invention in its open condition with the easel (formed by the cover members, the boards and the collapsible spacers) extended; and

Fig. 2 is another view of the portfolio of Fig. 1,

, in. the open state but with. the spacers collapsed between boards and back members.

Referring now to the drawing, it will be seen that the preferred form of the. portfolio of my 5;

invention has an outer cover I0 formed of an elongated rectangularback II, to the long edges of which are hinged a pairof generally rectangular cover members (2, [3. These cover members preferably have rounded corners, and a slide fas- 10 tener M of conventional form is fastened to the three "unhingedfedges of the, respective cover members. The slide fastener has two halves l5,

l6 each comprising a tape, one side ofwhich is fastened to the'ed'ges. of the, respective cover 1'53. member andthe other of whichcarries teeth of the usual type which maybe meshed or unmeshed, with the. teeth of the other half when the. cover members are folded upon each other by means of a slide IT. This slide may repose adjacent either thetopv or bottom of the back when the covers are open and vice versa when the covers are closed and fastened together.

A first. rectangular'fboard I.8'is slightly smaller I than the cover members but of the same general 25 shape and is dispcsed adiacent the inner face of the right hand cover memb'enbeing fastened parallel to and near the upper edge of this member by a hinge l9; Withthe easel. collapsed, the inner edge 20 of this first board is disposed parallel to and substantially adjacent the hinge between. the. corresponding cover -member and the back, and. along this inner edge. are mounted leaf holding means 22 such as ringsor other binding structure; for holding to the board av plurality of leaves 23. r

A. second rectangular board24 corresponds in length to the first board but is somewhat narrower. It is mounted at its upper edge to the left hand covermember by means of a hinge 25, so that the outside, edge, of this board is spaced from. theback the same distance. as the outside edge of the first board, leaving a gap 26 between the inneredge of, the second board and the back even when the portfolio is-closed. p 45 The lower edges of the boards are connected to their respective cover members bya set of collapsible spacers 21, 28, which correspond in width to the width of the respective boards. Thus, the first spacer is formed of a pair of rectangular 50 members 29, 30 hinged, respectively, to the lower face of the first cover members and hinged together at the opposite edges. Likewise, the second spacer is formed of a pair of rectangular members 3|, 32 that are hinged, respectively, to 55 bers of the portfolio.

the lower edge of the second board and to the lower inside face of the second cover member and hinged together at the opposite edges. The

outer member of each pair are fastened to each other by a flexible spacer 33, such as a piece of tape, which corresponds in width to the width of the gap 26 plus the width of the back.

The dimensions of the portfolio may, of course, be varied, so long as certain necessary relationships are maintained, such as having one board narrower than the-other. It may-be" helpful, however, merely by way of example, to consider the dimensions of the various members in a portfolio of my invention which accommodates leaves that are 10 inches long and 13 inches wide, the thickness of the total bundle of leaves being about of an inch. In this structure the other members have the following dimensions:

Reference 29-30 Right hand spacer halves. 4% 31-32.. Left hand spacer halves 9% 4% 33 Flexible spacer connecting oute pacer halves -16.. Tapes on slide fasteners.

The assembly of theportfolio is facilitated if the boards instead'of being fastened directly to the cover members are fastened to false covers 34, 35, which correspond in size to the respective boards. Thus, the false cover 34 is a rectangular piece of relatively stiff sheet corresponding in size and shape to the first boardand theupper edges of the two are hinged together. while the lower edges of the two are fastened to the re spective halves of the spacer; Likewise, the false cover 35 corresponds in size and shape to the second board and is fastened to it and to the collapsible spacer in the same manner. The boards, spacers, false covers, etc. are assembled separately and then the false'covers are cemented on the inner faces" of the cover members equipped with the slide fastener.

A variety of materials of construction may be employed in the construction of the several mem- Thus the cover, members may be made from heavy fabric, oil cloth or real or artificial leather, with the tapes of the slide fastener of cloth or other relatively flexible material. The boards, false covers and col- ;lapsible spacers may be made of cardboard or is employed to form the several hingesin the structure.

The operation of my portfolio is simple. Assuming the portfolio to be closed with the slide fastenenthe slide is pulled from one end of the back along the three unhinged sides of the cover members to the opposite end of the back. The portfolio is then opened until the two cover members are approximately parallel. Then, the lower edge of both boards are pulled out to the limit permitted by the collapsible spacers (which unfold downwardly from their positions between boards and cover members) and the portfolio is then in a position to stand upon the lower edges of the cover members and the boards, as upon an easel. The process is reversed when the portfolio is closed. The feasel offers little, if any, interference to closure; and the slide fastener assures that the portfolio will remain properly closed. The portfolio, in both its open and closed positions, is of pleasing appearance and assures that the advertising matter or other contents will be displayed to best advantage.

I claim:

1. In a portfolio the combination which comprises a back member having elongated parallel edges, a pair of outer cover members hinged, respectively, to the parallel edges, a slide fastener extending around the unhinged edges of the cover members and adapted to fasten these edges together when the cover members are closed upon each other, a first board disposed adjacent one of the cover members and hinged to the insidethereof near the upper edge, a collapsible spacer disposed between said cover member and the first board below the hinge,- leaf-fastening means disposed on the inner edge of the first board, aseoond board of substantially the same lengthas the first board but narrower than the first board, said second board being hinged to the inside'of the other cover member adjacent the:upper edge thereof; the outer edges of both boards being spaced substantially equidistant from the back, and a second collapsible spacer disposed .between the second board and the corresponding cover member at a point below that atlwhich these are hinged. p

2. In a portfolio the combination which comprises a back member having elongated parallel edges, a pair of outer cover members hinged, respectively, to the parallel edges, a slide fastener extending around the unhinged edges of the cover members and adapted to fasten the edges together when the members are closed upon each other, a first board hinged at its upper edge to the inside of one of the cover members near the top thereof, asecond board corresponding in length to the first board but narrower, said second board being similarly hinged to the other cover member'with the outer edges of both boards being spaced substantially equidistant from and symmetrical with the back member, a collapsible, spacer disposed between the first board and'the corresponding back member below thepoint at which these are hinged, a collapsible spacerdisposed between the second board and the corresponding back member below the point at which these are hinged, a flexible strap connecting the two spacers in the gap between the two boards, and leaf-fastening means fastened to the inner edge of the first board.

ROBERT S. FEELEY. 

